An online craze has led to staff at a secondary school enforcing a ban on water bottles – because their students keep trying to flip them.

Parents and pupils have reacted online after Fulston Manor School prohibited students from carrying water bottles, because they keep throwing them as part of the new craze.

The ‘Water Bottle Challenge’ sees people try and flip partially-filled plastic bottles and get them to land in precarious positions, such as on windowsills and protruding light sockets.

But now the head of the school, in Sittingbourne, Kent, has taken a tough stance on students carrying drinks, despite some claiming the ban has been causing ‘issues’ for some youngsters with medical conditions.

Parents and pupils have reacted online after Fulston Manor School banned students from carrying water bottles

He said: ‘We have suspended the taking of water bottles around the site in order to avoid problems created by litter, messing about in lessons and pupils indulging in the current craze of flipping bottles with all the intended and unintended consequences this produces.

‘Pupils can still drink in house areas before school, at break-time, at lunchtime and after school, ensuring that there is no prospect of them becoming dehydrated.

‘They are also permitted to take bottled water with them to PE and Games lessons.

‘At the end of the first day of this pilot scheme there was a marked reduction in litter around the site, no issues involving water bottles and, despite initial concerns expressed, very few pupils observed drinking water in any of their breaks within house areas, apparently reinforcing the belief that most carry bottles around out of habit or to provide distraction rather than because of a need or desire to drink.

‘As with all such pilot schemes, the impact will be assessed over time, but initial impressions are extremely favourable.’

The school, whose previous pupils include TV presenter Rav Wilding, hit the headlines last month when a girl was told she couldn’t wear her hair in braids.

Many locals slammed the school for their drought policy.

Local Stew Allington said: ‘Fads of one kind or another have always existed in schools.

‘It’s part of growing up – the problem here is ineffective teachers, many of whom are little more than children themselves who come straight from university with zero life skills.’

Jordan Smith wrote on Facebook: ‘You can’t ban water in lessons or anything against human rights to stay hydrated during the school day.

‘Good luck Fulston.’

WHAT IS THE WATER BOTTLE CHALLENGE?

The craze started from a video of Mike Senatore, a senior at Ardrey Kell High School in Charlotte, North Carolina, who became an online sensation when he calmly perfectly flipped a water bottle upright at his school talent show.

Set to dramatic music, videos of the event see Mike, wearing a white shirt and khaki shorts, appear to take a few practice swings as he walks up to the table onstage.

As the music reaches a climax, there is suddenly silence as Mike stands still upright and then casually flips the bottle into the air.

The bottle lands perfectly upright on the table with a thud and the crowd watching goes absolutely bonkers.

Following the stunt, Mike shared the video of his accomplishment on Facebook, writing: ‘I flipped a water bottle for my senior talent show today. I’d say it went well.’

Since then, the craze has gone across the globe as people saw his antics.

Youngsters will try to land a partially-filled bottle on any table, windowsill or other ledge they can find.

Another video to go viral was uploaded by two girls named Olivia and Maddie, who tried it out on camera while at home.

They shocked themselves when their two bottles landed perfectly with one on top of the other.